


Shards of Bronze

by fieryheart959



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Idiots in Love, Made For Each Other, The Cluster is actually really nice, The lapidot and rupphire is in the background, True Love, how do I tag things, this is gonna focus on copper and tin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-14 05:37:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16486853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fieryheart959/pseuds/fieryheart959
Summary: When the Cluster “wakes up” after Steven and Peridot had their adventure with it, the Crystal Gems head down to investigate. Turns out, the Cluster is actually just really excited...but for what?





	1. Something Broken, Made Whole

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If you have clicked on this story, I thank you! It’s been a while since I’ve posted something, so any comments, questions, rages, and kudos are very much appreciated! If I do suddenly abandon this work, message me, and I’ll try to get back to it. Other than that, thank you for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> This happens BEFORE a single pale rose, but in season five. Idk where yet.

The Cluster hummed as shards of all the fallen gems conversed with each other, sharing stories, opinions, knowledge. They directed each other to the lost pieces of themselves, becoming more and more whole, more and more complete, as time went on. Smaller shards gravitated to the larger fragments, like moons around a planet.

A small piece of a orange-brown gem was pushed and pulled towards a larger remnant of itself. It could feel the thrum of the shard, and could feel the energy of its completing pieces, and began radiating charged warmth. They were pushed together by those they knew as friends, who barely recognized them. They pulsed a melancholy energy when they realized that.

Soon, all the shards of the orange-brown gem had been corralled together by the Cluster, who was pounding with the warm charged energy. Some of the energy made its way to the bubble, where small sparks jumped from place to place, but most of the energy was directed towards the fragments of the gem.

The shards hummed in response, before they glowed dimly. They came closer together, almost reaching out for each other. The Cluster pushed them, supplying them with more energy. The fragments glowed, brightly this time, before a bright light shone, and the energy flow stopped.

The ground rumbled, and a couple stalagmites fell on the Cluster’s bubble. The Cluster responded by strengthening the spots where the boulders fell. The geoweapon glowed, before the rumbling stopped.

Near the surface of the bubble, a complete gem of Copper floated.

* * *

 

Peridot shrieked as she fell from the top of the barn. She face-planted into the dirt, or she would have if a bubble of water hadn’t caught her. Lapis raised an eyebrow at her, before asking:

“Is there a reason you just face planted?” Peridot frowned as the water lowered her to the ground, dusting herself off. She turned to face Lapis, who was on the balcony, watching Camp Pining Hearts.

“You didn’t feel it? The earth just shook! Perhaps it was one of those earthquakes Steven was telling me about?” Peridot wondered, her hand on her chin. Then, she suddenly remembered something, dashing inside the barn, frantically searching for something. Lapis flew down, confused at the green gem’s antics.

“Whatcha looking for?” Lapis inquired, walking up besides Peridot.

“The Monitor! Where is it?!” Peridot then squeaked as Lapis lifted her up. Water then encircled the pile of junk Peri had been searching through. It pushed away some trash, before revealing an old computer, hooked up to a satellite, pointed down towards the ground.

“This what you’re looking for?” Peridot nodded rapidly, quickly hugging Lapis before wriggling out of her grasp. She began typing, code immediately flying across the screen. Something resembling a heart monitor came up, and though it showed a normal beat, a couple more lines of code, and a more frantic beat appeared.

“This is the record of a few minutes ago, when the earthquake struck. But it’s not an earthquake, no, the readings say tha…” Peridot trailed off, her eyes going wide. Lapis frowned, her wings forming, and body going tense.

“Peri, what does it say?” Instead of responding, Peridot scrambled up, running out of the barn towards the warp pad. Lapis flew after her, just in time to catch the stream of light. When it disappeared, they had warped to Steven’s house, where Peridot was already rushing to the boy’s bed, where he was taking a nap.

“STEVEN!” She screeched, shaking the half-gem. Steven jolted awake, confused and scared. Peridot continued shaking him, at least until Lapis stopped her. Peridot stepped back, her hands clenched into fists and her eyes frantic. Steven rubbed his eyes before taking in the situation, and he went to summon his shield. Peridot stopped him before he could.

“No time! Get the Crystal Gems, we have an emergency!” She shouted, as the temple door opened, revealing Garnet. She nodded to Peridot and Lapis, before stepping onto the warp pad, waiting for them. Peridot went back to the warp pad, her hands waving around with an anxious energy. Lapis grabbed Steven, flying to the pad as they were enveloped in a stream of light.

They landed back at the barn, where Peridot started screaming things in Gem as she ran inside. Garnet followed, jogging after her. Lapis glanced at Steven, and they exchanged a confused look. They went inside, where Peridot was pointing at the monitor, still on the frantic beat, and spewing out words at a hyper fast speed. Garnet placed a hand on her shoulder, which calmed her down.

“Peridot, try now.” She instructed, gesturing to the two clueless gems. Peridot nodded, grunted with determination, before facing them.

“What I was trying to say was..” She lost her composure, screaming, “The Cluster is waking up!”


	2. Building (From the Ground Up)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for coming back! Any comments, questions, advice, criticism, and kudos are appreciated!

“What?!” Steven cried, hands going to his hair, “I thought we bubbled them!”

“We did! Or you did? Oooh, IT DOESN'T MATTER! The Cluster is activating, or it did, a couple minutes ago!” Peridot waved her hands about, pointing to the Monitor. She began explaining what this could mean, when the warp pad activated, and Pearl and Amethyst ran out, running to the barn.

“Garnet said something was going to happen, and we had to get to the barn.” Pearl clarified, her spear summoned. Amethyst nodded, glancing around.

“Pearl, you can put your weapon away, this issue isn’t just a corrupted gem. The Cluster has woken up, and could form if we don’t get down there.” Garnet explained. Pearl gasped at the mention of the Cluster, her weapon dissolving into light. Amethyst bit her lip, her foot beginning to tap.

“Well, we should pull out the drill, right? Maybe we have time to make more room, for you guys!” Steven smiled, his arms open in the general direction of the Crystal Gems. Peridot nodded, quietly humming.

“Yes, that would be very beneficial. Having all…” She paused to count on her fingers, “Six of us would be favorable.” Peridot went around the back of the barn, the other Gems following close behind. A large object with a tarp thrown haphazardly on top was lying there, and Peridot threw it off to reveal the gem drill, though it was powered down.

“Well Gems,” Garnet started, “Let’s get to work.”

* * *

 

The next few hours were full of building, scraping, store trips, snack breaks, screaming, arguing, being lazy, questions, answers, theories, worries and Steven being adorable. Sometime around lunch, he had called Connie over to see if she wanted to help. Connie had accepted and was now screwing in plated metals for the drill expansion.

Another rumble shook the ground just as they were finishing up. By this time, the moon was rising and Connie had already had to convince her parents to make it a “sleepover.” Garnet adjusted a plate that would’ve caused problems, and Pearl re-calibrated the settings to accommodate for the new weight. A door had been added between the cockpit and the car, which Amethyst was currently screwing in. Lapis was using the water to lift some of the heavier pieces of equipment and materials.

Steven tested the safety belt, calling an affirmative to Peridot as she typed rapidly on a computer, trying to send messages to the Cluster. Though most of them were stopped by the earth’s outer core, some of them got through. The Cluster didn’t respond, but the earth stopped rumbling.

“I’ve gotten us some time, maybe a rotation or two?” Peridot got up, walking over to where Steven was getting out of the extension. Steven nodded, face set with determination.

“All systems are online and functional,” reported Pearl, getting out of the cockpit. Amethyst tightened the door one last time before hopping out, accidentally crushing a silver flower beneath her feet. Amethyst backed up, frowning at the flower. Steven reached for it, only to blush when his hand brushed against Connie’s. They looked at each other, before Connie giggled, Steven following and Stevonnie laughing.

“SINCE WHEN WAS STEVEN ABLE TO FUSE WITH ORGANICS?!” Peridot shrieked, having fallen on her back and rapidly backing up from the fusion. Stevonnie stopped laughing, biting their lip, straightening.

“Um, hi Peridot, I’m Stevonnie…” They trailed off, and Garnet placed a hand on their shoulder in comfort. Lapis had flown over, and was equally shocked, but was able to extend her hand, slowly though. Stevonnie smiled, shaking it, their grip loose enough that Lapis could break the contact when she wanted. She did after a couple seconds, before heading back to work, mumbling a “nice to meet you” before flying off.

By this time, Peridot had made her way back, and was studying Stevonnie intently. She circled the teen, taking in their clothes, exposed gem, and body shape.

“Well, I think I might have...overreacted. You seem incredibly stable, and no dancing was required for your components to fuse.” Peridot analysed, occasionally glancing at Garnet. Stevonnie laughed awkwardly, before shrugging.

“Gems, we should get back to work. The Cluster isn’t very patient.” Garnet suggested, already grabbing a blowtorch.

“Right, sorry.” Stevonnie apologized, preparing to de-fuse, but frowned.

“Hey, Garnet?”

“Yes. Just ask Peridot if she’s comfortable with it.”

“Comfortable with what?” Peridot asked, raising an eyebrow. Stevonnie bit their lip, before asking.

“Is it okay if I-we stay fused?” Peridot blinked then nodded.

“Of course. Besides, your combined size and strength should help a lot.” Stevonnie breathed a sigh of relief, and then grabbed a screwdriver, smiling.

“This thing won't build itself!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around! To to the 4 or 5 people who gave kudos, thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> And that wraps it up! Thanks to the Cluster, copper is now whole! And Peri is freaking out. And lapis and Steven are confused babs.


End file.
